On Wrestling

The first recorded Olympic wrestling match occurred in the Olympics in 708 BC. Wrestling was highly valued as a form of military exercise without weapons. There were two distinct versions of the game, differing according to the holds and the methods of deciding the victor.

Wrestling has always been a very popular sport throughout recorded history. The origins of wrestling can be traced back 15,000 years through cave drawings in France. Babylonian and Egyptian relief's show wrestlers using most of the holds known to the present-day sport.

Wrestling today is an entertainment. The matmen perform like acrobats -- not to show their skill but to make the spectators laugh and shout as the grapplers kick, punch, pull, slap, bite, and go through all kinds of stunts -- anything but wrestle

The forms of wrestling we know today as Greco-Roman, Folkstyle, and Freestyle found their origins in the lands on the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. These lands are where the Ancient Greeks resided, and developed the art of wrestling. The Greeks influenced the styles and skills of wrestling of today. "The sport of wrestling has been highly developed for over five thousand years, and it is believed to have begun part of the soldiers training," The Ancient Greeks and The sport of Wrestling stated. Proof of this lie on the walls of the tomb in Beni Hasan in the form of pictures

With the possible exception of track and field (athletics), wrestling is the most ancient sport known to have been continuously practised competitively. Wrestling was introduced into the ancient Olympics in 708 BC, shortly after the Games' recorded history began in 776 BC. Wrestling pre-dates the ancient Olympic Games. Cave drawings of wrestlers from 3000 BC in the Sumero-Akkadian civilisation have been found. Similar wall paintings exist from ancient Egyptian civilisations circa 2400 BC.